|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In early 2002, when I was 41, I found a lump in my right breast. Nine days later, on Valentines Day, I was diagnosed: three tumors, two kinds of cancer, three different grades, all stage one, but one borderline stage 2. I was convinced that I was riddled with cancer, and that I had just been dealt a death sentence. It was the most terrifying day of my life. After much research, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction, followed by chemo and five years on tamoxifen. Twenty-three lymph nodes in total were removed, and none showed any sign of cancer. While that was the best possible news, I’ve been struggling for the last year with lymphedema in both arms – a fairly common, though not widely understood, chronic condition that can result from having a damaged lymphatic system. From the beginning, my cancer was a wake up call. It was clear to me that I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing in my life, and I felt that if I didn’t figure it out, the cancer would eventually win. I realized that there were many important experiences in my past that I had never come to terms with – from traumatic events to unhealthy relationships. I had always put the needs of others ahead of my own, and had been carrying a tremendous emotional burden for decades. I started to explore and understand the connection between mind and body and learned about the evidence indicating that harboring negative emotions can be incredibly toxic and can contribute to disease. I explored different complementary therapies including homeopathy, holistic medicine, acupuncture and Chinese medicine – and continued working with my therapist. I was determined not to let cancer take over my life so I continued my progress toward a long abandoned bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, which I finished while recovering from surgery. The summer I was undergoing chemotherapy, I started a graduate program for my Masters in Computer Science – attending classes on Friday nights, including those after each of my chemo treatments. Less than a year after my final treatment I left my marriage of 7 years. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but one of the most important and pivotal. From that point, I moved, found a new job and started a new life. In the process, I met a great guy and we started riding together on his motorcycle. I loved being on the bike, because riding exactly mirrored the new feelings of freedom I was experiencing. Today, I’ve got a great job as a project manager for an exciting start-up human capital consulting company called Capital H Group, just bought my very own condo, and I finished that Masters degree. I found out about the first Changing Gears adventure the same day my boyfriend and I got back from my first long motorcycle trip. It seemed like fate that I was accepted for the ride. Except for the minor fact that I didn’t actually know how to ride a motorcycle! In a whirlwind of activity starting just 6 weeks before the event, I took the lessons Harley provided, bought my own motorcycle, and got in nearly 1000 miles of practice riding. The event surpassed my wildest expectations. As I wrote to my fellow riders after the event: “We all had very different personal issues to contend with before and during the event which resulted in each of our individual growth experiences. Nothing happens without a reason, and I know each one of us has grown as a result of what we brought to and experienced during this amazing event. I think we have all learned that our comfort zones are nice places to visit and hang out in, but we can’t live there and expect to learn, grow and thrive.”. I believe that this event changed me in a very important way. I feel as if I am finally living the life I was meant to live. I’m so grateful for the friends I’ve made and for being given the chance to do something I never imagined in my wildest dreams I’d be able to do. And now, I get to do it again, with old friends and new. I’m still a novice rider, and am excited and a little anxious about the challenges of traveling halfway around the world to participate in this event. But no matter where I travel, or what side of the road I’m on, the fact remains that being on a motorcycle epitomizes my survival, making me feel strong, independent and most importantly – alive; something I haven’t taken for granted for one minute since that Valentines Day in 2002. Click Here to Donate Now!
"Survivor Rides to Freedom After Cancer" "Survivors Tell Breast Cancer To Hit The Road: 3 Locals Ride Harleys In Trip of a Lifetime"
|
|
|
||||||
 |
